A Dangerous Trend On Abuja Roads

I write with a great deal of concern about the rapid and willful destruction of Abuja roads by truck (tipper) drivers conveying sand, gravel and concrete through the city to various construction sites.

At first, it was random cases of these truck drivers recklessly discharging portions of their cargo on the roads in transit. But in recent times, this trend has taken a more rampant dimension, with entire stretches of roads littered with gravel, concrete and sand, to such extent that the concrete solidifies into hard masses, forming ugly bumps that deface the roads.

Alarmed by this ugly trend, I’m bothered to ask: ‘Is this a deliberate attempt to destroy or diminish the good work the FCT Minister is doing or is it just pure recklessness on the part of the truck drivers, unconcerned about the damage they are doing to our roads, which in the end would cost the government hundreds of billions of naira to fix?’ And it’s surprising to see that some of these roads were only recently constructed or reconstructed!

Days ago, while driving through the city, I couldn’t believe the extent of damage these truck drivers had caused. Virtually every road I drove through had been so badly defaced. I was forced to stop by a stationary Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) patrol vehicle to draw their attention to the state of the road on which they were stationed. They voiced their concern and I could tell that they were as appalled as I was, but I also sensed, by their tone of voice and the frustration on their faces, that they were helpless and lost for what to do. It was at that point that I decided to write this open letter to the FCT Minister, Barr Nyesom Wike, hoping that he would get to read it and do something fast before all the good roads he’s building, and indeed, previously existing ones, are destroyed overnight resulting in monumental loss to the government who would then have to rebuild them only for the vicious circle to continue. My guess is that this trend is not peculiar to the Federal Capital Territory alone; endless kilometres of federal and state roads must be undergoing the same treatment, and it is my hope that the Minister of Works and the state governments would take appropriate action.

Surely, regulatory policies and laws could be put in place to prevent the haulage of sand, gravel and concrete through the city with trucks that are inadequate for the purpose. With harsh punitive measures backing these policies and laws, such trucks could not only be confiscated and destroyed, but the offending drivers and the owners of the trucks could be made to pay heavy fines. This could be the only way to prevent the wanton destruction of our roads.

It is needless to start mentioning the names of streets and roads I had driven through and noticed this ugly trend; that may well be limiting the extent of the damage and menace as I may only succeed in drawing attention to a small portion of the city through which I regularly commute. Honourable Minister Sir, I would instead urge you to drive through the city; yes, your city, our city, the one you are passionately trying to build for the good of all, and see for yourself the extent of damage that has been caused by truck drivers, and then try to quantify what that means in money-terms when it comes to rebuilding them. And then think of the fact that it is not just about rebuilding them, but that these roads would most certainly be destroyed over and over again each time they are rebuilt, and that this vicious circle could become endless if nothing drastic is done to tackle the problem.

Honourable Minister, I commend your good work in the FCT, but this is a clarion call, your good work is being destroyed right before your eyes, leaving an ugly trail behind every inch of your progress.

I believe the minister will not sit back and watch.

–       Atogun, a novelist, writes from Abuja